Barnhizer will enter next season on a two-way deal, looking to prove to Thunder brass that he belongs on the NBA roster. The Thunder, coming off a championship, are among the league's deepest teams, so it will be a tough depth chart to climb. But if Barnhizer's shooting improves, the rest of his game might make him an asset worth rostering.

The low-stakes environment also helps assistant coaches get some head coach reps. As usual, the Thunder split the Summer League head coach duties between two. Daniel Dixon will coach the three Utah games and Connor Johnson will coach the five-plus Vegas games.

Thunder GM Sam Presti thinks the redshirt season can be a positive thing for Nikola Topić, who is set to make his NBA Summer League debut.